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Coca-Cola's creative use of AI, Facebook's dislike button, The Drum Arms & more: Editor's Overview

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By Stephen Lepitak, -

March 6, 2017 | 5 min read

The Drum editor, Stephen Lepitak offers his weekly take on a couple of stories from the past week and highlights a few things ahead for The Drum.

Stephen Lepitak

Stephen Lepitak

Coca-Cola and the 'can AI ever be creative?' debate

Last week we ran a story on Coca-Cola's use of an algorithm to help create its new ad campaign.

Mariano Bosaz, Coca-Cola’s global senior digital director admitted that arguably the world's most famous brand was running an experiment using AI to push the boundaries of its tech innovation.

Now this has led to a few creatives on social media slating the idea and Coke's ambitions. I'm not so fast to judge.

Maybe it will prove as smart a move as New Coke proved to be, but brands are entirely right to test what technology can do for their money. It may not be human and it may need humans to make it operate at all, but it may well lead to something new along the way.

I don't look at technology as something we should be wary about. Having done a lot with AI I know how much work it takes people to get it to do anything of note at the moment - but it still can supplement work - and perhaps it can take creative ideas a step further if programmed with that idea and the ultimate aim one day.

Maybe now if the time we accept that AI is coming - hopefully it won't take our jobs, but in the same note, hopefully it helps solve problems and helps us do our jobs a damned site more effectively.

The problems with Facebook's dislike button

The potential of Facebook testing a dislike button has been rumoured for years as it aims to boost engagement, but many have discouraged its introduction for fear that it creates a negative environment on the site. I have to say I agree - Facebook has done just fine all of these years without such a feature - and I feel marketers will be the ones who will influence that decision.

It's unlikely that the advertising will be impacted directly as the feature wouldn't be introduced around the ads - but brands might be wary of it impacting the sentiment on their dedicated Facebook pages - and if so should perhaps speak up quickly before they find their next major campaign being given the absolute honest view of the public that perhaps they didn't really want.

Social media is tough enough on people's thoughts and feelings. Let's not add even more potential for paranoia and sadness. Eh Zuck?

SXSW 2017 begins

The annual SXSW festival begins later this week, and I'll be in Austin with a few of The Drum team (Doug, Minda and Kyle) to check out what comes from it this year beyond barbecue and booze (well, we'll certainly try to.) If you're heading over get in touch and say hello to one of us!

We'll be reporting on some of the talks and sending a few social media messages to highlight what's going on. Speakers this year include Buzz Aldrin, Tinder founder Sean Radd and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus among a list of hundreds.

Join us for a pint down the boozer?

Ad Week Europe is just a fortnight away and during it we'll be running our very own boozer to catch up with friends from the industry and holding a few little events through out the week too. If you want to find out what we'll be up to we'll announce more in the coming days and weeks - but do get in touch with camilla.calvert@thedrum.com is you want to find out how you can get involved still.

What else is happening this week?

The deadline for entering this year's Chip Shop Awards will fall on 8 March - the creative awards with no rules always offers an amazing array of ideas for adverts that will never run and also prove a great way for young creatives to get a start in the business - while more experienced minds get to flex those thinking muscles too.

As part of that each week we are running a round up of creativity inspired around the world by the anger inspired by President Trump. Trump Dump is published every Friday displayed a sector of work that lampoons the current US President in some capacity. The ideas thought up vary from inspiring to hilarious.

Well worth checking out.

We'll also getting close and closer to Agency Acceleration Day. If you haven't checked out this year's line up (sorry folks, I am on there too I'm afraid this year) then do so.

Have an amazing week. Maybe see some of you in Texas.

Stephen

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